If you're part of the working world and also have children, there's a good chance you aren't satisfied with the time that you get to spend with them. Your heart may be in the right place, but hectic schedules can leave little time to stop what you're doing in order to talk to your kids and truly connect with them.

According to a recent survey, nearly one in four working dads feels that work is negatively impacting their relationship with their children. If you would like to get more in touch with your own son or daughter, there are easy ways to free up some parent-child bonding time. The following ideas should help ensure that the communication lines between parent and child stay open as often as possible.

The Junior Leaque of Olympia recently released thier new cookbook, Northwest Inspirations. Below are additional recipes to include in your Easter or Mother's Day brunch menu. For more information on purchasing the cookbook, please visit www.jlolympia.org/pages/cookbook.htm.

Easter Brunch (see page 10 of April/May 2009)

Strawberry Champagne Punch

1 (1-liter) bottle lemon-lime soda, chilled
1 (750-milliliter) bottle white wine, chilled
1 (750 milliliter) bottle Champagne, chilled
12 ounces frozen whole strawberries

Combine the soda, white wine and Champagne in punch bowl. Add the strawberries. Serve in punch cups. The frozen strawberries will keep the punch chilled as you serve.

Twenty-Four-Hour Wine and Cheese Omelet

1 large load day-old French bread, torn into small pieces
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
12 ounces domestic Swiss cheese, shredded
8 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
9 thin slices Genoa salami, chopped
16 eggs
3 ¼ cups milk
½ cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon German mustard
4 large green onions, minced
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 ½ cups sour cream
2/3 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese or shredded asiago cheese

1. Sprinkle the bread in two buttered shallow 9 x 13-inch (3-quart) baking dishes. Drizzle the butter over the bread. Sprinkle with the Swiss cheese, Monterey Jack cheese and salami.
2. Beat the eggs with the milk, wine, mustard, green onions, black pepper and red pepper in a bowl until foamy. Pour over the layers in the baking dishes. Cover with foil and chill for 8 to 24 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Let the chilled mixture stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake, covered, for 1 hour or until set. Spread with the sour cream and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 10 minutes longer or until light brown and crusty.

Serves 12

My mom used to collect them.

She’d find them at garage sales, estate sales, antique stores. Embroidered, tatted, crocheted pieces of art with just enough room to blow your nose once or twice or stop a tear or two. They could be found throughout our home in drawers, purses, pockets – always at the ready in case of need.

Tacoma, WA
November 14, 2008

Rebuilding Together South Sound Accepting Applications for Rebuilding Day Tacoma, WA, November 14, 2008 - Rebuilding Together South Sound is now looking for low-income homes in need of repair in Pierce and south King Counties.Rebuilding Together South Sound (RTSS) is looking forward to Rebuilding Day, which will be Saturday, April 25, 2009. On that day, we will be providing free home repairs to low-income homeowners. Our program is part of a national affiliate network of more than 200. The South Sound affiliate was established in 2001. We are a volunteer-based nonprofit committed to bringing volunteers and communities together to improve the homes and lives of low income homeowners. The services we provide are free to the homeowner.

What fun!  Catalyst sponsored a South Sound Woman team for the October 11th Breast Cancer Awareness Walk in Tacoma.  It was a fantastic sunny fall day, a great turnout of women, men, young children, and lots of baby strollers!  As a media sponsor of the event we handed out over 500 copies of our South Sound Woman Fall issue to the crowd.  We have uploaded some pictures of the event.